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Social faux pas


John Matrix

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So i have an annoying habit of putting my foot in it..

 

A post op transexual (male to female) just held the door open for me to which i replied "Thanks mate".

 

Historical instances include:

 

I used to compile papers for team members to take out on home visits which were called Therapist Adherence Measures".  A team member forgot theirs, left them on my desk prompting me to shout across an open plan office full of about 80 people "ZOE, YOU FORGOT YOUR TAM PACKS".

 

Last, but by no means least, an asian couple stopped to ask me for directions shortly after the 7/7 bombings.  Naturally, racial tensions were at an all time high at that point, so the best way for me to describe their need to perform a U-Turn probably wasnt "For a start mate, you need to go back where you came from".

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A post op transexual (male to female) just held the door open for me to which i replied "Thanks mate".

 

 

Last, but by no means least, an asian couple stopped to ask me for directions shortly after the 7/7 bombings.  Naturally, racial tensions were at an all time high at that point, so the best way for me to describe their need to perform a U-Turn probably wasnt "For a start mate, you need to go back where you came from".

 

I think that's ok, I call women I know "mate" all the time if that helps. Compared to what a lot of post op transexuals deal with they probably wouldn't be upset by that so you're probably in the clear.

 

However the last one isn't really a social faux pas, it's just racist. :unsure:

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A post op transexual (male to female) just held the door open for me to which i replied "Thanks mate".

 

 

Last, but by no means least, an asian couple stopped to ask me for directions shortly after the 7/7 bombings.  Naturally, racial tensions were at an all time high at that point, so the best way for me to describe their need to perform a U-Turn probably wasnt "For a start mate, you need to go back where you came from".

 

I think that's ok, I call women I know "mate" all the time if that helps. Compared to what a lot of post op transexuals deal with they probably wouldn't be upset by that so you're probably in the clear.

 

However the last one isn't really a social faux pas, it's just racist. :unsure:

 

 

I think he meant he was telling them they needed to turn around in their car in order to go where they needed to go.

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I used to work in a supermarket and when you had a long queue and had to ask the same inane questions you start to phase out and just say them without thinking. A really big woman was in this long queue and when it got to her turn without thinking I just said "Sorry for your wait" but because my mind wasn't thinking straight I immediately thought I'd made some sort of weight comment so immediately stumbled over my words and said ohh I mean... and just tried to carry on. She looked a bit confused but luckily I don't think she realised I had accidently believed myself to call her fat if that makes sense. 

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Not me, but my wife's sister.

 

We were on New Year's Eve a couple of years back and my sister in law was chatting to some guy, who it turned out was Jewish. She asked if he had had a nice Christmas. He replied "I don't celebrate Christmas, I'm Jewish".

My sister in law then uttered the phrase I'll never forget for as long as I live:

"Oh that's right, you celebrate the Holocaust don't you?"

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Not me, but my wife's sister.

 

We were on New Year's Eve a couple of years back and my sister in law was chatting to some guy, who it turned out was Jewish. She asked if he had had a nice Christmas. He replied "I don't celebrate Christmas, I'm Jewish".

My sister in law then uttered the phrase I'll never forget for as long as I live:

"Oh that's right, you celebrate the Holocaust don't you?"

That's going to take some beating in this thread. Amazing stuff.

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Back in the summer of 2005 I was working in WH Smiths and around midday on July the 7th I was serving a customer who asked me "Have you heard about London?" to which I responded "Yeah. Great news isn't it?" I hadn't realised the bombings had just happened and thought the chap was referring to the successful Olympic bid for 2012. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I girl i used to work with used the term, "Calm it, Kermit"

 

Well that's all well and good until one day we are moved to the passenger side of Eurotunnel and one customer does not take to kindly to being pulled over for a car check.

 

Without thinking she says that to the driver.......who happened to be french..........and knew Kermit was a frog.........

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 "Sorry for your wait"

That's brilliant, exactly what i mean, i know no one else would twig, but in your own mind your torturing yourself!

 

Not a verbal one this, nor a faux pas i guess, but a definate gaffe in anyones books.  I had to have my prostate examined a couple of years back - if you've had it done, you'll know what the wad of tissue paper is for, i on the other hand, a finger trick virgin at the time, thought it was for biting down on.

 

I even uttered the words "Oh god, its not going to be that bad is it" before putting them in my mouth.  Was somewhat awkward when he turned around to see Matrix with his arse in the air and a mouth full of kitchen roll.

 

Absolutely true story :(

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So i have an annoying habit of putting my foot in it..

 

A post op transexual (male to female) just held the door open for me to which i replied "Thanks mate".

 

I had a very similar experience a couple of months ago, with a transexual that turned up at my gaff to repair my laptop. I'd spoken to her a couple of times on the phone, and just assumed she was a man with a girly voice. Her name was "Sian", and I did really well until I was hlolding the door for her as she left and said "thanks Sean"....

 

I also had a cracker at a job interview a week or so ago. The interview was held by the client in the office of a recruitment agency. After the meeting, I was chatting to the agent, joking that I might be up for it if he could get me a better car..."I mean, a crappy BMW 1 series...". At this point, he noticed he was locked out of his office as we'd been chatting in the car park. "My swipe card is in the car", he said, pulling out the key fob to his BMW 1 series........

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A few years ago I was in Manchester for XFM's Winter Wonderland. After the gig finished I walked back into the city centre from the Apollo with the wife. On the way we got a bit peckish and popped into a Subway. Because it was quite a cold night I got a coffee with my sub.

 

The coffee was pretty crap to be fair and I decided to dispose of it. Just when I was about to chuck it in the bin I looked up and saw a bearded fellow sat in a doorway of a shop. As it was pretty Baltic night I decided to give my coffee to this homeless chap. When I handed it to him he said 'I am just waiting for the night bus'. The Hemp smelling hipster jumped on the next bus and my wife called me a stupid twat.

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